Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-11-25

voyage to Europe. and Catherine thereaf-
ter dismissed all thoughts of marriage
and devoted her life to literary and be-
nevolcnt lNhors, dying in Elmra N. Y,
May IL, ISIS. Her career is full of inter
est, and pertinent to this sketch because
she is credited with having much TO do
IN forming the minds of Harriet and
Henry Ward, the most noted of the fam
ly. The father, DR.. Lyman Beechcr, was
noted scholar and divine in his day, and
would have occupied front place in our
moral and intellectual history had not
mis- reputation been obscurcd by the greater
Drlliancy of his son and daughter lie
was born in New Haven Oct. 10, 1915,
and died in Brooklyn Jan. 10, 1868. He
was thrice married and the father of thir
teCD children. OF these one died in in
fancy and another was killed by the acct
dental discharge Of his own gun; all the
others lived to attain to some degree of
eminence, while one son is known wher-
ever thc English language is read, and
one daughter. the subject of this letter, is
read and admired in almost every Ian
guage yet reduced to print, her great work
having been translated more times than
any other book save the Bible.
Harriet Elizabeth Beecher was born art
Litchfeld, Conn, June IA, 1912, She
completed her education very young, and
was Cor several years an assistant in
Catherine Bcccher's Model school at Hart
ford. Her intellect reached its maturity
IN m age of most furious controversy.
Everything was misunderstanding was
accepted on mere authority. Slavery and
TEMPERANCE the divine unity or trinity,
grace free will and predestination, were
debated with a heat and bitterness to
which this generation is happily a stranger;
from 1915 to 1926 her father lived con-
slant battle with URtarianism, and from
1880 to 1850 a still fiercer battle with
slavery, while the Temperance issue he had
always with him. Taking the keenest in
terrSt in all these controversies, Harriet
learned to discuss with geninlity the most
exciting themes; as the lee draws only
honey from the most diverse plants, so u
happy native faculty enabled her to ap-
prcCiate the keeucst controversy and still
grow in charity. In 1852 her father was
made president of Lane Seminary at
Walnut Hills Cincinnati, which place he
retained twenty years; but in 1888 the
faculty forbade the students to discuss
slavery, and in 1885 he was arraigned be-
Tore the presbytery on the charge of
teaching false doctrine, after which he
aligned himself with the new school
branch of the Presbyterian church.
We may easily imagine how all
the,a 'hings wrought in the active and
sus,r 49,, le mind of his daughter, and
nov ' bservations at Cincinnati and in
the 1ujacent sections of Kentucky, where
she visited, entered into the very sub
stance of her soul and were reproduced in
her creat work. In 1886 she was married
20 Professor Calvin Z. Stowe, of Lane
seminary, who has since become cele-
DRAFTED for critical and historical works in
circulation Of the Scriptures, especially
MS Origin and History of the Books OF
he bible" She was writer from young
girlhaal, nor is it possible to assign q
late When her productions first appeared
e Il p15ll, but in 1919 her first pretentious